In praise of Microsoft’s Surface Pro . . . as a notebook PC

As slick as the Surface is, I’d recommend waiting a bit. In a few months, Microsoft will release a version that runs Windows 8 Professional, which means it can run Metro as well as traditional Windows desktop software. There’s no word on pricing or an exact shipping date. And because it will use an Intel processor, expect it to have fans and shorter battery life.

Indeed, Microsoft’s initial iteration of its tablet computer is cool, but seriously flawed. One of the biggest issues is that its traditional Windows desktop is locked down to the apps that come with the device – you can only install new software that uses the newer, Windows 8 interface.

Now, Microsoft is selling the Surface Pro, a more powerful tablet that runs Windows 8 Professional. It has no limitations on the software you can install, and that makes a huge difference in what the product is. And yeah, it has fans that fire up from time to time, and the battery life is less than ideal.

But I like the Surface Pro a lot. I’d consider buying one if I was in the market for a thin, ultraportable Windows notebook. But I’d pass on it if my goal was to own a Windows 8 tablet – and herein lies the biggest challenge with Microsoft’s hardware strategy.

The Windows 8 platform is an attempt to bridge the worlds of traditional PCs and tablets. Microsoft’s Surface line is the company’s way of saying, “Here’s the best way to do that.” But it’s really not. The Surface Pro is a much better notebook computer than it is a tablet, and I think Microsoft should emphasize the latter.

Compared to the Surface RT, the Surface Pro is a little thicker (.37 vs. .53 inches), a little heavier (1.5 vs. 2 lbs) and a little taller (6.77 vs. 6.81 inches). It has the same size display, at 10.6 inches, but it has a higher screen resolution (1,366-by-768 vs. 1,920-by-1,080 pixels). It runs an Intel Core i5 processor running at 1.7 GHz, compared to the nVidia Tegra 3 processor on the Surface RT.

The Pro comes with 4 GB of RAM to the RT’s 2 GB. Its storage capacity is 64 GB or 128 GB, while the RT comes in 32- or 64-GB.

The battery life on the Surface RT is rated at 8 hours, while the Pro gets half that. Four hours of battery life is understandable on a full-sized notebook, but many ultrabooks do much better than that. On the Surface Pro, you’ve got a powerful processor packed into a very thin, tablet-like case that includes a correspondingly thin battery. It’s also powering a bright screen with a high resolution. The specs say “notebook” but the form factor says “tablet”, and one point at which they conflict is the battery life.

It has better connectivity and expandability. Both come with a microSD card slot for adding onboard storage. The Pro has two a USB 3.0 port to the RT’s USB 2.0 slot. And the Pro supports external storage as well.

Both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but sadly cellular broadband support is not available.

The Surface Pro is also significantly more expensive than the Surface RT – a starting price of $899 vs. $499. Bump up to the 128-GB model and you’re paying $999. Add a keyboard – and you WILL want a keyboard – and it will cost you at least $120 more, making this price-competitive with the 128-GB, 11-inch MacBook Air.

And frankly, I would strongly recommend you spend a little more and get the more expensive Type Cover for $130. The cheaper keyboard, the Touch Cover, uses touch-sensitive virtual keys and doesn’t provide great tactile feedback. If you’re a fast touch-typist, the Type Cover – which uses traditional keys embedded in the cover – is a much better choice.

As a Windows notebook computer, the Surface Pro is a joy to use. It’s very fast and responsive, thanks both to its processor and the use of an Solid State Drive for storage. The touchscreen is excellent, with no lag at all, and Windows 8′s interface feels like a natural extension of your gestures. I haven’t tried playing games on it, but given its small screen and Intel graphics, it’s not really designed for that.

When I tried removing the keyboard and working with the Surface Pro as a tablet, the heavier weight and thicker size became an issue. Holding a 2-pound tablet for any length of time is difficult unless it’s in your lap. And the onscreen keyboard becomes particularly annoying when you’re trying to balance something this hefty while typing.

The Surface Pro comes with a stylus for drawing and taking notes by hand. But again, this is better when it’s being used as a tablet, and standing up holding a 2-lb. tablet while trying to jot on the screen is trying at best. Oh, and the stylus attaches to the Pro via the same magnetic connector used for the charger. You can’t store the stylus on the tablet while it’s charging. D’oh!

I found I got better battery life with everyday use than Microsoft claims – about 4.5 hours between charges. That approaches the 5 hours I got on the RT, which was well under Microsoft’s 8-hour claim.

Although it didn’t bother me as I used it, the Surface Pro’s kickstand is not adjustable, just as it is not on the Surface RT. This gives you only one angle of view. It’s not an issue in terms of screen quality, because the display looks great from most angles. But it could be a big problem for those who use videoconferencing often.

The advice I gave in my Surface RT review still stands – this is the better version of the Surface, and the one I’d recommend.

That is, if what you’re after is a very good Windows 8 ultraportable computer. If you want a great Win8 tablet that’s lightweight and has decent battery life, keep looking. The Surface Pro isn’t it.